First Osprey Arrives at Marine One Squadron

The President’s Marine helicopter squadron received the first of 12 MV-22 Ospreys on April 5, although the president will not be traveling aboard the tilt-rotor aircraft with the checkered early flight history.

The Ospreys that join the Marine Helicopter Squadron One fleet will carry presidential support staff and the media rather than the President of the United States.

Marines will paint the Ospreys in the squadron green. The VH-3D Sea King and VH-60 White Hawks that carry the president are painted white on top and called “white tops.”

The Marines started flight operations with the Osprey on April 26, however the tilt-rotor aircraft will not start carrying reporters and presidential support staff until later in 2013, according to the Marine announcement.